Salt block for cattle



Jan. 3, A. PATTEN 2,142,825

SALT BLOCK FOR CATTLE Filed April 14, 1937 HY H15 #Treff/vnf.

Patented im. s, 1939 l SALT FOR CATTLE Leslie A. Patten, Mankato, Mllin.

Application April 14, 1937, Serial N0. 186.809

4 claimt. (Cl. 11S-61) This invention relates to the manufacture and use of a highly compressed, homogeneous salt block for cattle and the like which may be conveniently and rotatably mounted to facilitate licking by the animal and to further minimize deterioration or contamination through weather conditions and contact with foreign substances.

My present application is a continuation of all subject matter in common of my co-pending appucation. s. N. 99,145, .entitled A stock licking salt block.

It is an object of my invention to provide a very hard dense block constructed from homogeneous edible granular or crystallized material,

such as common salt (NaCl) which is so ,con-

structed as to enable it to be very efficiently mountedifor turning above the ground on asupporting surface and which, through its inherent homogeneous construction and method of mak- 2 ing the same, is highly successful for withstanding weather conditions and forconsumption by.

cattle and other animals.

A further object is the provision of a highly compressed salt block of the type described which may be successfully provided with a tapered bore or aperture extending preferably from the bottom end thereof for considerable distance axially of the block co-operatively associated in use `V.vvith an upstanding supporting element upon which the apertured interior of the block is rotatively received.

The problem of commercially manufacturing a highly compressed salt block having an axial passage extending partly through the block is I5 considerably different from the problem of coring moulded material such as concrete, plastic or comminuted mixtures of ingredients -which are inherently hard and dense or which are self hardening in nature. Extremely high pressures have to be utilized in successfully making a salt block, to adequately bond the ne granular materials together and to form a sufficiently dense and hardened body to retain'its shape under various weather conditions. In making compressed salt blocks, it is often necessary to use pressures exceeding '750 tons of pressure on a 50 pound nished block. Collapsible cores 4and perforation methods are, therefore, totally impractical.

In my invention, the requisite uniform density I0 of the compressed material and the physical construction of the flnlshed block containing the tapered axial aperture or' attachment passage is very closely associated with and dependent upon my improved method for manufacture of this Il block.

It is, therefore, a further object of my inven-` tion to provide a comparatively simple but highly -efficient method for makinga very eiiicient uniformly compressed block of the type and struciure described. 5

A still further object is the provision of an extremely simple but highly eilicient apparatus for feeding salt to livestock in or out-of-doors, said apparatus including the provision of a particular structure of salt block-as well as a simple 1 mounting which, through its co-operative relation, enables the block to be vertically mounted with freedom' for turning by the animals and which successfully withstands rain or inclement weather and further makes impossible contami- 15 nation of the salt by germs or foreign materials.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will be more fully set forth in the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which like rei'er-` 2o ence characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views, and, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view showing a preferred form of my salt block in vertical section mounted upon a suitable supporting medium; 25

Fig. 2 is a cross section taken substantially on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1; v

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic vertical section illustrating in general a suitable apparatus for successfuly manufacturing my preferred` form of salt block;

Fig. 4 is aside elevation of the coring die of the pressing mold detached.

In the form of my compressed salt block illustrated in the drawing a symmetrical body 0 is 35 formed having generally flat parallel top and bottom surfaces 6a and 6b. 'I'he block is of preferably polygonal cross section having a plurality of flat substantially vertical side faces 8c and provided with chamfered longitudinal corners 8d. 40 The horizontal corners of the block are also preferably chamfered or beveled as at Ie and a small depression or hand-hole l maybe formed in the upper end of the block, as shown in Fig. l, to facilitate handling or piling of the blocks in conjunction with the axial aperture or e in` the opposite end thereof. The body 8 is provided -with an elongated passage 8 in general tapering .ture by reception of an upstanding pipe or rod I.

lh the preferred attachment and mounting means of my invention, the upstanding member I is preferably secured to and projected above a supporting surface, suchas the end of a post II,

and the length of the upstanding member I is preferably so related to the length of the passage AI that the fiat bottom surface of the block is received upon the surface of the support II with the member I extending to a point near the upper end of the passage I.

When my block is mounted for use as shown in Fig. l, the cross sectional configurationl ofthe body I with the multiplicity of the flat side surfaces Ic as lwell as the chamfered corners Id facilitates turning of the block which cattle desire and further assures a substantially uniform consumption of the salt by a licking process. The tapering of the mounting passage or aperture with the countersunk entrance Ia thereto facilitates disposal of the block in operative position upon the mounting and further enables pipes or upstanding supporting members 9 of'various cross sectional areas to be successfully utilized. with my block while 4still assuring a block of a substantial engagement with the support to prevent the block being displaced or uplifted during thev consumption of salt and licking action.

To manufacture an efficient block having the axial passage I for attachment and connection with the vertical mounting presented a problem. Balt is not an inherently hard material nor could a self-hardening cement or bonding material be mixed with the salt to give a product of the edible nature required. Exceedingly high pressures must be utilized for compressing the crystalline or granular substance to produce `a suiliciently compressed block for withstanding moisture and consumption by licking. To provide such'a block with an axial passage was impossible with molding methods which included a collapsible core or die.

Because of the inherent properties of highly compressed salt and furthermore the requisite length of the body, perforation methods were impractical in producing the aperture or passage I. The usual core action obtained in concrete block machines with a head or extremity on the male member of the mold or plunger proved impractical for the reason that the material at the upper Lend of the block was compressed to a greater extent than the portions at the side of the block and would cause the block to disintegrate upon use and subjection to rain.

After considerable experiment, I discovered that the high pressures necessary to properly compress the salt into a dense block could be utilized in a molding process if a mold plunger were provided with a rather sharply tapered die core having a head or extremity of sharply tapered smaller size than the'shank portion of the core. The apparatus illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 have been found highly satisfactory for producing the particular block illustrated in Figs. l and 2 and have been found to form a block of substantially uniform density or compression throughout which was wel1\ adapted for the particular mounting disclosed herein.

As shown in Fig. 3, a mold plunger P having a lower molding surface constructed to mold the upper beveled end of the block isl provided being attached to a hydraulic or other power-actuated means for producing adequate pressure, and, in thisconnection I prefer a pressure of at least 700 tons upon a 50 pound block to be produced. The mold case M has tapered sides to facilitate ejetion of the block'and in the form shown the sides taper from the lower end of the mold case to the upper end. 'Ihe mold case M is open ended, and

' in the form shown a bed platen shaped en its 4 I2 and forms the countersinking Ia in the finished block. It is important that the extremity Ifc of the coring die be sharply tapered and diminished as by forming a conical end, as shown, and I have obtained improved results by ilatting the sides of the shank adjacent conical end l2c to make this portion of somewhat less cross sectional area than the main portion of the shank.

In employing my method with suitable apparatus, salt in granular crystalline state is poured into the mold casing above the bed plate B and the plunger P is then forced downwardly with the aforesaid pressure, the special coring die I2 being forced axially through the salt under high pressure and. because of the .diminished die tip I2c and the rather sharply tapered shank of the die permitting displacement and movement of the salt particles to co-operate with the plunger and mold in producing a block of substantially uniform density and compression throughout, and preventing the formation of a relatively dense central portion below the tip of the die which follows unless a diminished tip is used in the molding action.

After the block has been compressed, the pressure is released, the mold case M moved upwardly a short distance with the block therein, and the bed plate B may be removed, whereafter downward movement ofthe plunger P may be continued through the mold casing to eject the completed block below the mold in the position shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 3.

A block made by the method disclosed has the axially disposed tapered mounting aperture nicely hardened for reception of the mounting pipe Iv and is so densely compressed that it will withstand rain or water and retain its shape and furnish a relatively large amount of sait.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that I have provided an extremely simple but very highly efilcient salt block for cattle and the like co-operatively associated with a very simple vertical mounting, which attains the objectspreviously recited.

It will further be vseen that I have -devised a simple method and one which may be carried out very economically from a commercial standpoint to produce the improved salt block disclosed herein.

What is claimed is:

1. As a new article of manufacture,a highly compressed salt block of the class described, comprising a uniformly dense body of polygonal cross section, said body having an axialv aperture extending from one of its ends to a point some distance from its opposite end, said axial aperture being tapered inwardly for facilitating insertion of a vertically disposed mounting element and having a substantially flat bottom which is adapted to take the thrust and be supported upon a supporting surface.

2. In a device for supplying salt to cattle, a symmetrical highly compressed salt body having a substantially uniform density and being of polygonal cross sectional shape, said body having a substantially uniformly tapered axial aperture extending inwardly and tapering from its lower end and having a at lower supporting surface from which the axis of said aperture extends perpendicularly and a support for said body having a substantially horizontal supporting surface upon which the bottom of said body may rest and having a substantially vertical mounting member extending upwardly into said apertured portion for a considerable distance.

3. In a device for supplying salt to domestic animals, a highly compressed salt block having a flat base disposed perpendicularly to its longitudinal center line, said block having a central aperture extending longitudinally and upwardly from said base into said block, and a support for said block having a substantially horizontal supporting surface upon which the base of said block may rest, and having a substantially central, upwardly projecting mounting member extending upwardly into said apertured portion.

4. In a device for supplying salt to cattle and the like, a block composed of substantially dry particles of salt compressed under suicient pressure to provide a substantially homogeneous nished article free of any bonding material, said block having formed therein a substantially axial aperture extending inwardly from one point on the block for a considerable distance to- 

